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Beware of Cupid at work
14/02/2007 07:15 - (SA)
New York - Cupid in the cubicle can be a
problem for employers who are unprepared to deal with the
fallout from workplace romances.
With Valentine's Day looming, experts warn that many
employers are caught by surprise by the ripple effects of
intra-office relationships, which can demoralise staff and
spread envy and resentment.
The problems range from the serious, such as a messy
Break-up between a boss and a subordinate, to the less obvious,
such an exchange of risque e-mails or a kiss in the hallway
that can distract colleagues and hurt productivity.
"People are a little sloppier around Valentine's Day," said
Debra Mandel, a psychologist and author on the subject of
office relations.
"They might let the relationship out of the
box more."
A soured relationship puts the company at risk
Employers are not just at risk when a staff member becomes
romantic with a supervisor, which can lead to claims of sexual
harassment.
A soured relationship between peers also puts the
company at risk if it leaves one of the workers feeling
harassed at work.
Companies may be at risk even if the office relationship
ends well, said Shanti Atkins, president of Elt, which offers
online ethics and legal compliance training.
She cites the
example of Gavin Newsom, San Francisco's single mayor who
recently admitted having an affair with a married staff member,
and the impact it could have on staff in city government.
40% of US workers have dated an office colleague
She said it could create the impression "one has to sleep
with the boss to get ahead," and an employee could sue,
claiming it created a hostile working environment.
A recent poll by Spherion Corp, a workplace recruiter,
shows that nearly 40% of US workers have dated an
office colleague.
The same survey also showed that 84% of US workers
said their employer did not have a policy covering office
romance or they were not sure if such a policy existed.
In part, that reflects the difficulty employers face in
balancing the need to maintain a comfortable work atmosphere
with employees' right to privacy.
Experts say many employers
decide it is easier to do nothing.
Business etiquette
"As long as people are professional in the office, it's no
one's business what people do outside the office," says Barbara
Pachter, who writes about business etiquette.
Enforcing a policy that forbids office dating could drive
some staff to quit. Also, like decrees that ban internet
surfing at work, rules against dating co-workers risk being
considered frivolous by staff and could undermine a company's
authority.
"People don't follow the dress code so how will you get
them to follow a romance code?" Pachter said.
Instead, experts suggest companies educate staff about what
is considered appropriate behaviour at the office and
incorporate it into training.
Sexual harassment claims
"You want to set basic guidelines, such as keeping the
interaction out of the office," said Ayana Brooks, an associate
at Meyer Suozzi English and Klein, a law firm that specialises
in sexual harassment claims.
Proper training can alert supervisors to issues that are
born out of office romances but extend to more serious
problems. The recent case of astronaut Lisa Nowak, accused of
being obsessed with another astronaut to such an extent that
she stalked and attacked a perceived romantic rival, might have
been prevented if colleagues had been trained to tell
supervisors about unusual behaviour, Atkins said.
"My prediction on that case is that as news trickles out
there will be reports of people knowing about a lot of
cumulative behaviour over time," she said.
"There is a lack of
reporting from employees on these issue. That's the high price
of silence. The only way to get these addressed is to get at
them early."
- Reuters
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South Africa
